A storm of cherry blossoms
by Emmache20
Summary: Aika awoke with a start from her nightmare. She was having it every night since that accident 6 months ago... Aika is a 17 year old girl, who had been an idol up until a tragic accident which happened 6 months ago, and in which she lost her best friend... and her voice. A cute love story between her and Ai in her fight to gain her voice back... Will she find the meaning of love?
1. How it all started

Chapter 1 – How it all started

"Hey, you look lost. Do you need directions?" someone asked from behind me. I spun around and bumped into a tall, smiling, red-haired boy. "Do you need help? You seem lost." He asked again, gently. He looked really nice.

I stared into his amber eyes and shook my head no, before hurrying away quickly, regretting it every step of the way. I walked faster and faster, and before I realized it, I was running, sprinting away, desperately trying to get rid of that horrible feeling of guilt clawing at the pit of my stomach.

Why hadn't I been able to answer him? Why wasn't I able to speak anymore? Was I really so weak?

_It's all in her head. It'll pass soon, when she's ready. We shouldn't have to worry. It's a completely normal reaction, with what's happened to her. She'll open up at her own pace. One or two months at most._

It had been 6 months, and I still wasn't strong enough to talk again. I wanted to. I so dearly wanted to… But the words would not come.

Oh how many times I had tried to speak. But every time I failed, I became more and more disappointed with myself, and gradually lost most of the self confidence I had before. I had become merely a shadow of my past self.

I rounded a corner and ran straight into a blond human-wall. Literally, a human wall holding a Piyo-chan doll. The person must have been at least a head and a half taller than me, but the force of me surprise-sprinting into him made him stumble back and his glasses fell off. I scurried over to his glasses and picked them up to give them to him, but when I turned around to him, he was looking at me with such an expression of hatred, that a cold shiver ran down my spine.

"YOU", he said, before being cut off.

"Hey! Natsuki, what are you doing, we're going to be late!" Another blond boy approached us. His eyes widened as he looked at his friend's face.

"Oh no, his glasses fell off. It's Satsuki now… I don't have time for thins! We're going to be late!" He started looking around for his friend's glasses, so I approached him a held out my hand with the glasses in them. His gaze rested on my hand, before going up to my face.

"You found his glasses! Thank you so much." He smiled as he took the glasses from my hand with his black-nailed one. Our fingers brushed together and he smiled again, looking straight into my eyes. He was really cute.

I backed away hastily, and the cute blond guy proceeded in running after his friend to put his glasses back on him. I turned and walked away after a couple of seconds, thinking that when they were done with their circus, they might come to talk to me, and I would hate having to answer them back with cold silence. I could so easily see their disappointed faces, just like the ones of all my old friends before I moved, telling me they loved me, but hating me deep down because they knew they weren't the one I would ever open up to.

That's why I'd moved, partly. I couldn't stand their pitying, judging eyes on me even a second more. I'd felt weak, and even more so with them by my side. And that's why I had fled. Fled to the other side of the world. To Japan.

**I do not own any of the characters, or the bands in Uta No Prince-Sama, but the protagonist (and her -dead- best friend) of this story is my own creation. Please do not steal them without authorization (just ask). Thanks dudes. :) Peace**


	2. My little lamb

Chapter 2 – My little lamb

I continued down the street, and stopped to admire the flowers in the florist's windows. My admiration was interrupted by a red rose which had been put right under my nose. My gaze followed its stem, mentally tracing all of its thorns for a future drawing. My eyes fell onto an outreached hand. They travelled up the arm attached to the hand, then higher up, to rest on a pair of electric blue eyes.

"Hello, little lamb. When I saw you looking at those flowers through the glass, you were so cute that I simply _couldn't_ stay away. This rose reminds me of you, with its beauty. Would you do me the honor of taking it as a gift?" He smiled flirtatiously. A lady's man, definitely.

I blushed lightly against my will and took the flower. He put his arm around my shoulder in the process and leaned closer to me until our faces were almost touching. A strand of his long, dark-blond hair fell in between my eyes, but I didn't move it. "My, aren't you such a cute little lamb-". A voice interrupted us and the man rose back up.

"Ren, will you please _stop_ flirting with every girl which passes your way? We are going to arrive late, again." I looked around Ren's shoulder. A tall, icily handsome man was approaching us. He had dark blue hair neatly chopped around the back and longer towards the front, making is cheekbones more prominent.

"Stop being such a spoil-sport, Masato! We still have plenty of time. It's fine." Ren said.

"Actually, if we don't hurry right now, we will definitely be late. It wouldn't look very professional, don't you think?"

"You're right; we still have a lot to learn before we can catch up our senpais", Ren answered, "Goodbye little lamb" he whispered hastily to me, before letting go of his embrace and hurrying away with his friend.

I stared after them, wondering how it was that I was managing to get so much human contact (something I hadn't had for weeks) with all these boys, suddenly appearing around here. I hadn't seen so many cute boys in the same place for months! So why were they all appearing like that all of a sudden? And why was I bumping into all of them one at a time today?

I ran to the bus stop where my bus had just stopped, but it left before I managed to get there. A soft voice asked from behind me: "Did you just miss your bus? Would you like me to call a taxi for you? You seem very lost, princess." I turned to fall yet again on two hot, young men, one very pale one with dark blue eyes and black hair, and the other with a darker complexion and sparkling green eyes.

"You look lost, my princess. Is everything all right?" The brown haired one asked me again. I nodded, sure that even if I could speak, I wouldn't know how to respond anyhow.

"Do you need a taxi?" The dark haired one asked, and I shook my head no. I saw another bus I could take to go home and sprinted towards it, leaving the two boys in the dust, and managed to jump onto the bus right when the doors closed. I sighed with relief and sat down in one of the empty seats. Today had been way more social than expected and I was mentally exhausted from the thought of so many hot boys talking to me. I took out my phone and earphones and started the radio:

"_And now an all new band of beautiful boys trying to make themselves known: STARISH!" _A second voice started talking, after the presentator, right before the song started, and I couldn't believe my ears:_ "This song is for you, my little lamb."_

**I do not own any of the characters, or the bands in Uta No Prince-Sama, but the protagonist (and her -dead- best friend) of this story is my own creation. Please do not steal them without authorization (just ask). Thanks dudes. :) Peace**


	3. Books are not awkward

Chapter 3 – Books are not awkward

_I was running swiftly down a darkly lit corridor. My best friend Daisuke was running next to me. But that wasn't right. He was dead. "Aika!" he called my name, "Quick! They're going to catch up! I looked behind us to see what was chasing us, but all I saw were shadows. Suddenly, I couldn't breathe anymore. I batted my legs to go up, and broke through the silvery surface of the water. But I couldn't see Daisuke anywhere. I looked all around, searching for him. Then I smelled it. The horrible, acre odor of blood. A shark's fin appeared from under the water's surface. Then another, and another, until the water was littered by them, like burnt stars on a pale surface. I tried to scream, but my throat felt blocked, and I could feel it, some unearthly creatures twisted and twisting on itself deep in my throat-_

I woke up with a silent scream and quickly sat up in bed. It was alright. I was awake. What had just happened? It had just been a dream. Only a dream. Only a dream… But aren't dreams messages our subconscious wants to tell us? I shuddered at the thought. If only I could somehow remember that dreadful night when… It was no use, my brain had deleted it all from my spirit, made me amnesic, so as not to traumatize me further.

Knowing I would not be able to sleep anymore for a while at least, I went over to my computer and logged on to the online game I had been playing for the past months since the accident. It was easier to express oneself online, where people didn't care whether I was mute or not. So, it helped me. It was one of the only places where I could truly be myself and no one would ever judge me for it.

I checked my friends list. Only one person logged on. Mikaze Ai, a powerful ally of mine, in this game at least. I didn't know very much about his irl, since neither of us liked talking about our lives, and it fit us to only talk about the game. All I knew was he liked to sing, and he was also currently wondering what love was, for god knows what reason. The guy was probably 12, maybe younger, judging by his E.Q. (emotional intelligence, basically). But, hey, he was a badass ally, and I wouldn't want him as an enemy on that game anytime soon, so…

"How's life?" I typed him.

"Meh. Boring as usual." He answered back fairly quickly. I wondered how many hours he'd been on that game all alone before I'd arrived.

"Shouldn't you be in bed by now?" I asked. It was around 3am, which is definitely not healthy for a 12 year old.

"What about you?" He was an intelligent 12 year old. I'll grant him that.

"Nightmares. Can't sleep." I sent back, "U?"

"Didn't feel like sleeping tonight. Not tired. Btw, do u know what love is yet?" Immediate reply. He probably hadn't even read my last message. Even though we hardly knew each other at all, we still did, in some weird, gamer way… Like, we could easily guess what the other was thinking and stuff. Kinda like comrades.

"What about school?" I asked.

"What about it?" What an idiot. He knew exactly what I was saying, and yet he chose to answer that.

"Won't u be tired if u go to school after a whole night of gaming?" Pff, 12 year olds, I tell you.

He quickly answered: "What do you mean? I'm a professional idol, I don't go to school anymore."

"What? I thought u were like 12, or something! (sorry)" Well, that was awkward. I was the idiot, for making such hasty, judgemental conclusions.

"Nop, I'm 17." So, he was my age… Well sh*t.

"Oh sorry then… Yawn, I think I'll go back to bed, I'm tired."

"Ok, good night."

"Gn". I hastily logged off again. Too much computer one night. Time to read a book… At least I can't be awkward with a book… Right?

**I do not own any of the characters, or the bands in Uta No Prince-Sama, but the protagonist (and her -dead- best friend) of this story is my own creation. Please do not steal them without authorization (just ask). Thanks dudes. :) Peace**


	4. Preparing to meet work buddies

Chapter 4 – Preparing to meet work buddies

I awoke from my peaceful slumber to the sound of birds, with the contour of the book drawn onto my face. I must've fallen asleep on it again… That was usually how my nights went: always the same nightmare, small chat with Ai on the game, read a book, fall asleep on the book… I took a look at my calendar. Today was a big day: I had a singing practice with STARISH and Quartet Night. It had been planned a year ago, and with all that had happened, I never got the time or thought to call in to say that I had gone mute. That I couldn't sing anymore. If I even could call in.

My job as a singer had stopped 6 months ago (a 6 months paid vacation - less epic than it sounds, since half of it was in a hospital), right after the accident, and today was the day I was supposed to start it again. How could I make them understand that I had gone mute for a while, without losing this job opportunity?

I had to go, at least. I couldn't chicken out of this. I needed to be strong and get this job, whatever the cost. I had to stop being weak. For Daisuke.

I put on a cute shirt and a pair of ripped jeans. It looked more casual than professional, but would do. The least I could do was put on professional-looking make up. Then I quickly put my hair into a messy side braid and was off.

In the bus, I listened to _Headphones_ from Britt Nicole to try to calm my nerves. It worked, kind of. When I arrived, I headed straight towards Shining Saotome's office to show him then and there that I couldn't sing the practice with STARISH and Quartet Night. I had taken a portable blackboard and some chalk to be able to communicate.

I knocked twice before opening the door. Shining Saotome was there, at his desk.

"Ah, you're early, Aika. That's great! You'll be able to meet STARISH and Quartet Night before the repetition." He boomed.

I took out the blackboard and started writing: _I'm sorry, but I still haven't completely recovered from my accident. I won't be singing today._

Shining Saotome squinted at me. "Oh, and why, may I ask?"

_I lost my voice 6 months ago and haven't got it back yet._

"Listen up kid. You have 2 weeks to get your voice back, or this job proposal won't be for you anymore."

I nodded.

"On a second note, I've found a modeling job proposition for you. Would you like to model with one of the boys you'll meet today? You'll be both modeling in a publicity for perfume. I haven't chosen the male model yet. I was going to choose Cecil, as your skins would likely contrast well, but he left for the week with Tokiya and Miss Nanami back to Agnapolis… What do you say?"

I nodded again. At least I wouldn't have come here for nothing today.

"Go meet the boys now, and don't forget: you have 2 weeks to find your voice again, or else!"

I nodded a third time and bowed respectfully before hurrying from the room towards the artists' lounge. I walked over to the door, and could hear people talking on the side.

**I do not own any of the characters, or the bands in Uta No Prince-Sama, but the protagonist (and her -dead- best friend) of this story is my own creation. Please do not steal them without authorization (just ask). Thanks dudes. :) Peace**


	5. Meeting STARISH (most of it)

Chapter 5 – Meeting STARISH (most of it)

I quickly opened the door, half scared of what I would find on the other side. The door opened to reveal - much to my amazement (though I had already half guessed it) - 5 of the hot boys I had seen the day before.

I smiled and shyly waved at them, unsure of how I should act with them yet… They all looked at me with curiosity growing in their eyes, getting bigger by the minute, when suddenly, the human-wall blond one jumped up and started running towards me screaming: "ELIZABETH!"

I shrunk away in surprise, and, just as he was about to glomp me, the cute midget blond jumped in between us: "Natsuki! Don't you see you're annoying our guest?" he said harshly.

"Natsuki stopped in his tracks, looking like tears would swell up in his eyes at any moment: "But… But… She's so cute she made me think of Elizabeth, you know. You know how much I miss Elizabeth, don't you Syo?"

"Well, that's no reason to start glomping random girls" Syo replied defensively, before turning towards me, "Are you okay? Hey, wait a minute…" His eyes widened as he recognized my face, "You're that girl from yesterday, aren't you? The one who made Natsuki's glasses fall off."

I nodded.

"My glasses fell off? When was that?" inquired Natsuki (but no one was willing to answer him).

Syo put his mouth right next to my ear: "Don't worry; he's a different person when he has his glasses off. I'm sorry he probably scared you yesterday, but please don't talk to him about it; he never remembers what happens to him when he has his glasses off, when he becomes Satsuki. He's as gentle as a lamb with his glasses on."

I looked at Syo, then back at Natsuki. "What did Syo tell you?" Natsuki asked. I shook my head no, I wouldn't tell him, but I wouldn't be scared either, and then grinned up at him. He grinned back, "I guess it's not that important then, is it?"

"We never got to hear your voice then, did we, little lamb? Such a shame, really. You must have the cutest one." I looked up at the face of the long haired stranger who had given me a rose yesterday. The rose was still in my bag; I had carefully placed it in my drawing pad.

"Don't annoy her any more than you have to, Ren. You know plainly why she doesn't talk. It's her voice. One can't force her out of it against her will." Masato had approached too.

I cocked my head to the side, clearly surprised by what he had just said. _They know?_

"Why? What happened to her?" Asked the red-haired boy, Otoya, "Did she have an accident or something?"

Panic raged up inside me. How had they known? I wanted to forget my past, not have it coming back again and again, every time I met new people, ruining all my relationships! I felt dizzy all of a sudden, and the world started to turn uncontrollably.

"I'm sorry! I shouldn't have asked you that so soon. Are you feeling all right? I'll go get a glass of water."

I shakily sat down onto a couch and waited for the Earth to slow down. Everything was going too fast, much too fast. There was a glass of water in my hand. It hadn't been there before. I stared at it, and then drank it all in one gulp, trying to wash away the dizziness. It didn't help. The glass fell. The world went black.

**I do not own any of the characters, or the bands in Uta No Prince-Sama, but the protagonist (and her -dead- best friend) of this story is my own creation. Please do not steal them without authorization (just ask). Thanks dudes. :) Peace**


	6. Ai, the gamer

Chapter 6 – Ai, the gamer

I woke up in a really comfortable bed which smelled slightly of a warm, foresty type of smell. A nice, safe smell. _A bit like Daisuke's…_

I opened my eyes to cyan colored ones looming over me. A boy with blue hair tied up on one side of his head and long side bangs was staring at me, pokerfaced. He was leaning in really close to me, so close our noses were almost touching. Surprised, I suddenly jolted up in bed, bumping our heads hard at the forehead. I groaned and slid back down.

"May I know what you are doing in my bed, miss?" asked the pokerfaced boy.

"Hunh?" I mumbled, still groggy.

"Why were you sleeping in my bed?"

"Wha-" I started saying before clumping my mouth shut in bewilderment. _I had spoken! Half a syllable maybe, but spoken all the same! _

Syo suddenly showed up in the doorway: "I'm sorry Ai-senpai, but Aika-san fainted in the artists' lounge, and we couldn't just leave her there, so since you were away, we thought we could use your bed. _Unfortunately_, you came back earlier than expected, so we didn't have time to tell you…"

_Ai._

"Aika-san?" Ai turned towards me, "Are you feeling alright now?" It was weird the way Ai asked me that, because he stayed expressionless while asking it, so I couldn't guess if he was asking me seriously or just to be polite, "I'm Mikaze Ai, by the way; Syo's and Natsuki's senpai."

I couldn't stop myself: "Mikaze Ai? Wait, do you do gaming?!" I gasped and covered my hand with my mouth; I hadn't talked in 6 months, so why now?!

Syo looked dumbstruck. "Aika! You spoke! You talked! How?!" He looked around for an explication, completely bewildered.

Ai stayed pokerfaced: "Yes, I play an online game. We met on there, I supposed?"

I nodded my head up and down. Ai looked back at Syo, who was still shocked, "Aika, you said?" He thought for a second. "Ah, I see! Yes! You're Aika5016, aren't you?"

I nodded again. "I see…" Ai said, "But you haven't answered my very first question yet. The one I had ask you in the game. What is love? Because I still haven't figured it out…" He looked perplex. I shook my head no apologetically.

"I see…" Ai said again, getting off the bed. "Oh well…" And he left the room without a second thought.

I stood up too and Syo and I watched him leave. Then Syo turned to me: "Are you okay now? The boys and I need to talk to you again in the artists' lounge, if you're good with that." He started walking shakily back to the artists' lounge, still not quite believing what he had just heard, and I followed him.

**I do not own any of the characters, or the bands in Uta No Prince-Sama, but the protagonist (and her -dead- best friend) of this story is my own creation. Please do not steal them without authorization (just ask). Thanks dudes. :) Peace**


	7. And again

Chapter 7 – And again

We headed over to the artists' lounge, where the boys were waiting, including Ai and 3 others, which I guessed where the rest of the band from Quartet Night.

Syo shouted excitedly: "Aika talked! I heard her! She asked Ai a question!"

Most of the STARISH members had a double-take, "Wait, what?!" "What do you mean?" "Incredible!" The members of Quartet Night only looked mildly surprised, only a brown haired nice-looking guy responded in awe: "That's great Syo-kun! Maybe she's getting better finally!" . That earned him a snort from the guy with heterochromatic eyes: "It was obvious she'd get better one day, no need to make such a huge fuss about it."

"Oy, Ranran! Don't say such mean things in front of Aika-chan!"

"No, I half-agree with Kurosaki on that one, for once", said the icy-looking man with long, blond hair, "I'm sorry, my Lady, but, as a professional, any event, no matter how big, should never have shook you as much as this has. Your reaction was clearly unprofessional; so you might want to relearn what it is to be a professional, my dear."

Otoya cut in: "How dare you say that! It's normal to be deeply traumatized after all she's lived through!" Even though I hadn't known him very long, it was still weird to see him mad. The thought that he was protecting _me_ made my heart flutter.

I put my hand on my shoulder to stop him. He looked back at me, straight into my eyes, a protective look illuminating his. I shook my head no, he should stop, it wasn't worth it, they were right. I was a failure.

From the corner of my eye, I caught Ai staring at me, a long, thinking, piercing stare which felt like it was going right through my body and into my soul. "What exactly happened to Aika?" He asked. His face was still pokerfaced, but it had a hint of curiosity in it, this time.

"Yeah, I want to know too!" Natsuki exclaimed.

"You're too young, Natsuki" Ren said.

"It should be Aika's choice who knows or not anyways. It's her life." Added Masato.

I looked from each boys face to the next, one by one. The truth was, I didn't remember anything from that horrid night. I went over to my bag to get my mini blackboard and chalk, then went to sit on one of the couches with it on my lap. The boys crowded over.

"Interesting idea, of you to bring a blackboard. You can't sing with it though. What a shame." Camus said.

"Let our little lamb try to communicate, Camus-senpai" Ren cut him off.

I wrote on the blackboard: _I don't remember what happened to me. You can talk about it if you want (I don't mind)_.

"Like, you really don't remember a thing?!" Syo asked in amazement. I shook my head no apologetically. Actually, I only remembered small fragments of what had happened on that fateful night, but most I had no idea if any of those fragments was reality, or if I had just made them up. To cover the real truth, the too real, cruel truth.

"One question though, Aika. Do you remember who Daisuke is?" Masato asked me gently, "It's okay if you don't, it's just to know, because we have the feeling that the only way to help you out of this is by looking through your story, bit by bit."

I thought for a moment before writing: _Daisuke? I think he was my best friend in elementary school, right?_

Then it all came back to me; the running, hiding in the shadows of that alley, how we had all been ambushed. And Daisuke, my poor Daisuke. He was like a brother to me, how could I have forgotten him?

I gasped and fell forward. The whole world was spinning again, but this time much faster. "Catch her, she's fainting!" I heard someone shout in the background. Then, hands were on my shoulders, holding me, catching me, and everything – you guessed it – went black again.

**I do not own any of the characters, or the bands in Uta No Prince-Sama, but the protagonist (and her -dead- best friend) of this story is my own creation. Please do not steal them without authorization (just ask). Thanks dudes. :) Peace**


	8. Ai

Chapter 8 – Ai

"Oh my god Ai, you can't go on watching Aika sleep! You look like a psychopath when you do that! Imagine she wakes up to your face just staring into hers. _Again._"

I squinted my eyes, and rolled over in my sleep, hoping the voices would shut up.

"Your argument is irrelevant. She's in my bed. Therefore, she's mine. So, I can do what I want with her. Plus I'm not the one who put her there the first time, am I?"

"Wha- ?"

"It's like a tree", Ai continued, "If you have a tree on your property, it's yours, isn't it? But you never paid for the tree, only for the property. Girls, beds, same thing. Plus, that is where she talked the last time she was here. So, it would be good for her speech if she stayed here. "

"Ai, Aika is not a tree. And anyways, how the hell did she get into your bed in the first place?"

The smell on the sheets was the same as before, except stronger now. It was such a nice, protective smell. I wouldn't ever want to leave this comfortable bed with this strangely nice smell. I yawned and opened my eyes. Ai on the bed sitting cross-legged next to my legs. His usual cynical stare had somehow transformed into a cynical-but-protective one. Otoya was in the doorway, arms crossed. When I sat up to look at him, he grinned and waved good morning.

"Aika, you shouldn't be sitting up in bed like that. You just fainted – twice! – in one day. You need to be more careful." Ai looked at me with such concern-filled eyes, that there was nothing I could do except lie back down in bed again.

"Trees, hunh?" Otoya mumbled, as he started leaving, "That's a low shot dude, a low shot. Why did I get a bunkbed?"

Ai leaned towards me, "So, what's love?" He whispered, seemingly afraid that somebody would hear him. I giggled at his cute question. He layed down on his stomach next to me. "So? Do you know yet? Cause I need to know, for this thing..."

I cocked my head. "_What thing?" _I wanted to ask. I smiled. I turned towards him, grinning, and shook my head no.

"I see… Oh well, too bad then…" But before he could leave again, I snuggled up to his shoulder, and fell asleep once more, content.

_Daisuke. The corridor. The shark fins. But now a new, worst part appeared in the dream: I was in an alley even darker than the corridor. I had was covered in bruises, bottom lip cut in half, left leg broken, cigarette burns a constellation across my skin. But I wasn't hurting for me. I was hurting for the sight of Daisuke. He was only a couple of feet away, on the ground, shaking. He'd been beaten worst than me. Messages of hate imprinted onto his skin, his blood flowing onto the cold stone pavement. Too much blood, much too much. If this continued, he would die… But he did die, in the end, didn't he?_

I flung myself up in bed, panting hard. Someone squirmed next to me before sitting up too. He rubbed his eyes and yawned like a cat, "What's the matter, Aika?" Then, seeing my panting, tear-streaked face, he tensed next to me. "A nightmare, hunh? Again?" I nodded.

"Shhh, everything is going to be alright." He whispered. Ai took me in his arms and hugged me tightly. My tears fell onto his shirt. He continued saying soothing words into my ear and started rocking me back and forth like an infant. I cried into the crook of his neck until no more tears came. "Thank you" I whispered as I pulled back. Ai took hold of my hand, "Where are you going Aika?"

I smiled at him, I whispered again, "Garden. I need air." I headed quickly towards the garden, still marveling at the fact that I had managed to talk to him again. It was spring, and the cherry trees' flowers were in full bloom.

**I do not own any of the characters, or the bands in Uta No Prince-Sama, but the protagonist (and her -dead- best friend) of this story is my own creation. Please do not steal them without authorization (just ask). Thanks dudes. :) Peace**


	9. Cherry blossoms

Chapter 9 – cherry blossoms

Once in garden, I slowed. Under one of the cherry trees was Ranmaru. He was looking up at it in awe. As I approached him, he turned, a guilty look in his face, before realizing it was just me, and a glare settled in on his otherwise handsome face.

"What are you doing here at such a late hour? It's past midnight!" _Had I really been asleep that long?_

I looked up at the pink cherry blossoms. They were absolutely breathtaking under the white moonlight.

"Hey! I asked you a question! Answer next time, will ya?" I nodded out of habit, really.

"So answer my question then." _What had even been Ranmaru's question? Ah, yes._ I tried forming words with my mouth, but my throat would not cooperate properly. After a bit of trying to communicate, I abandoned and hung my head in shame.

"How did you even manage to get this far in life if all you do is abandon all the time? You can't go on living like this. Sometimes, you've got to fight for things, when they are truly important to you. How could you have even become an idol with that attitude?" His comment took me by surprise and I looked up at him, bewildered. _Had I simply not been trying hard enough?!_

I tried again, harder this time, and a small sound escaped my lips.

"I" I started, "I had nightmare, so I… I came here to calm myself." I whispered the last part of the sentence.

"Well, that wasn't too difficult, was it?" I shook my head no, it wasn't. "Thank you." I whispered.

Then, a sudden gust of wind surprised us both, picking up all the cherry blossom petals littering the ground, and pulling us into a pink tornado. It was breathtaking.

"By the way Aika, you better not hurt Ai, nor play with anyone's feelings, or I'll never forgive you." I looked deep into Ranmaru's heterochromatic eyes. His face stayed blank of all expression, but I could see weariness lighting his eyes.

"Don't worry, I'd never hurt any of them" I said softly.

"Well, you better not! Or else"

"Ah, threatening the ladies, are we, Ranran?" Reiji came over to us, "Don't worry, we can trust Aika, okay? She's not like all those other women you had to meet; imagine her as being some sort of second Nanami, basically, okay?" (recall: Nanami, Tokiya, and Cecil have gone off to Agnapolis for 2 weeks).

"I'm worried for Ai. It's not like him to act like he did yesterday. It's all her fault: she's the one making him change!"

"Ranran, Ai-Ai is not like all those other band members you knew. He'd never leave us for a woman. He'd never leave us for anyone. Besides, isn't there that no romance rule?"

"You know plain and well that that no romance rule is only for the students, not the senpais. AI is free to do what he wants."

"My point exactly Ranran!" Reiji beamed, "So how about letting him decide for himself, okay?" Reiji finished off, winking, leaving nothing for Ranmaru to answer back, "It's his life, after all, is it not?"

**I do not own any of the characters, or the bands in Uta No Prince-Sama, but the protagonist (and her -dead- best friend) of this story is my own creation. Please do not steal them without authorization (just ask). Thanks dudes. :) Peace**


	10. Guilt

Chapter 10 – Guilt

"But Ai and I, we're not a… a…" I exclaimed.

"You spoke." Reiji whispered in awe.

"Won't have long to wait then, I guess, seeing how Ai has taken a liking to you. You better respect that dude's feelings. Or else." Ranmaru started.

"What?"

"Say yes if you like him and no if you don't like him, it's as simple as that."

"Wait what? Yes, no, _what_?"

"Make up your mind woman, it shouldn't be that complicated, should it?!"

"Hunh?"

Pissed off by my complete lack of intelligent replies, Ranmaru stalked off, with Reiji running after him, giggling like a 5 year old schoolgirl.

"Aika" Ai was standing not 10 feet from me. He looked absolutely gorgeous underneath the falling flower petals. I cocked my head to one side in awe.

"I'm sorry, I shouldn't have followed you outside, but I got lonely all alone in there, and you looked so pretty underneath the cherry petals when I looked out of my window that I…just had to come see you…"

Ai looked lost in his thoughts for a second. "And I…I think I understood what love is now." He grinned, "Aika, I love you."

He closed the gap between you in 4 long strides and held me close, by my shoulders. "Do you like me back, Aika? Because I really think I love you."

I stayed dumbfounded a few moments, trying to process what was happening. Then I realized it too: I was in love with Mikaze Ai. Deep down, I'd always known it, but now was the first time the thought had actually dawned on me: _I was in love with Mikaze Ai. And he loved me back. _

I looked up into his deep, cyan-blue eyes. A couple of strands of hair were partly covering his right eye. He was beautiful. He was a beautiful, beautiful person. A marvelous, cynical boy. And I loved him.

I stood on my tiptoes and approached my lips to his. I could hardly believe what I was doing. Our lips touched. We were going to kiss. But then Ranmaru's words came back to me: _I'm worried for Ai. It's not like him to act like he did yesterday. It's all her fault: she's the one making him change!_

I pulled away quickly, right before the kiss. _Was I really changing AI?_ Ai looked completely flustered and surprised.

"Don't you like me, Aika?" he asked, cynical once more.

"No, it's not that! Of course I love you. It's just that… that…"

_You better not hurt Ai. Or else. _What was I doing? I couldn't go out with Ai! I couldn't… _Or else…_

All love stories end badly. They've always had. There is never a happy ending. If I started liking Ai, I would end up hurting him. Like I did Daisuke…

I couldn't stay with Ai. Our love was impossible. He was… He was an idol, and I… I was a failure! I started backing away slowly, tears swelling up in my eyes. As much as this hurt me, this would probably hurt him more. So much more. Kill his pride, and destroy his ego.

I was sorry. I was so desperately sorry. But it was better that way. Or I would end up ruining his life like I had ruined Daisuke's. Daisuke's death had been my fault. Clearly. It had been my fault he'd died. _I was a murderer. _

"No, Aika! Come back! I love you!" Ai called for me.

But I had already turned and run. I sprinted on and on, as fast as I could, until the world became a blur around me. Then I tripped, fell hard onto the muddy pavement, cringing as my lungs failed to supply me with enough oxygen. And I cried, wept. I don't know how long I stay there, in the mud, but after a while, I picked myself up and started walking. Away. Anywhere but to Ai. But guilt remained in my stomach. Horrible, horrible guilt.

**I do not own any of the characters, or the bands in Uta No Prince-Sama, but the protagonist (and her -dead- best friend) of this story is my own creation. Please do not steal them without authorization (just ask). Thanks dudes. :) Peace**


	11. First Kiss

Chapter 11 – First Kiss

I walked aimlessly through streets before falling on a small, lost café. I was open, so I went in. I silently ordered a coffee, then went and sat down at a table. The coffee arrived. I drank it. Another one. I drank it. And another. And another.

Slowly but surely, I drowned my sorrow out with coffee, my tears falling into the sour liquid, and then me drinking them down, again and again.

"Boy problems, hunh?" The waiter said, "I know how it is, having a daughter about your age, I can understand it." He handed me a tissue. "Oh and here's a little piece of advice for you: take a boy who ruins your lipstick, not your mascara." The waiter winked.

"But it's…it's not Ai's fault sir. It's my fault. I'm the one who ruins everything! I always do…"

"Since you seem to regret what you did so much, go tell him, go apologize. Everyone makes mistakes. It's natural! That's part of growing up, the mistake making. Now if the boy truly loves you, he'll understand and make up with you. I tell ya what: when you together again, ya both come here and I'll offer you each a coffee on the house, since you seem to like them so much." He grinned, "It gets kinda lonely in here, I wouldn't mind a couple of young people keeping me company sometimes."

I nodded. "Thank you sir." I smiled weakly.

"Now go find that Ai-boy you're in love with and make everything right again!" The waiter exclaimed, overdramatically. I giggled.

"Okay, thank you. Bye." I waved goodbye and left. I wouldn't ruin my chances with Ai any further. I would stay with him whether Ranmaru liked it or not. I had as much right to him as any of them did to have Ai. And, Ai liked me too, didn't he?"

It was around 5am. I headed straight to my house. The lights were on already, which was weird as I always put them all off before leaving. I was sure I had shut them off the morning before, as I had been leaving...

I unlocked the door to find each and every light in my apartment on, from the old Christmas lights I kept in a box for storage to the lamps and torches. The light was so blindingly bright.

Then I heard a far-off scream coming from my bedroom: "Natsuki, stop playing with goddamn lights! You're not 5 years old anymore!"

"But it'll help Aika find her way back here, Syo-chan! Like a lighthouse for sailors!"

"That's a stupid idea Natsuki! And put those light back out! Aika is gonna kill you if she sees her house like this! And DON'T CALL ME –CHAN!"

Ai came out of the kitchen and stopped dead in his tracks when he saw me. His eyes seemed a little puffy and I wondered if he'd been crying. "Listen, Ai, I'm sorry. I should never have left like that. I love you. But the truth is, I was scared…"

"Scared?" He regarded me wearily.

Tears started swelling in my eyes again. _Don't cry. Don't cry. Don't cry. _"Yes. I…I was scared of hurting you if we ever had a relationship. Hurting you in the long term. But I was so scared of that that I guess I accidentally hurt you anyway… I'm sorry. Could you please give me another chance?"

Ai looked away. "I don't know if I should."

Ren suddenly interrupted the silence out of nowhere, "Oh please! We all know you desperately want to kiss her Ai. And seriously, go for it."

Ai closed the gap between us in less than a second and crashed his lips against mine.

**I do not own any of the characters, or the bands in Uta No Prince-Sama, but the protagonist (and her -dead- best friend) of this story is my own creation. Please do not steal them without authorization (just ask). Thanks dudes. :) Peace**


	12. Goodbye dead readers!

Chapter 12 –

_Ai closed the gap between us in less than a second and crashed his lips against mine. _His arms wound themselves around me and he pulled me into a magnificent hug. I pulled my lips gently away, but he bit gently into my lower lip so I couldn't escape this time. Then he slowly and passionately kissed me, keeping me in his embrace. He was warm, and I melted into his arms and kissed him back.

I stood on my tiptoes and put my arms around his neck, pulling him closer. Our kiss felt magical, like butterflies fluttering onto my lips. When he finally pulled away (for air, otherwise we would have just continued). I layed my head on his shoulder, smelling his scent, his beautiful, gentle odor, and Ai started nibbling my ear. I giggled for the first time in months. "It tickles!"

Ai grinned. "What?" I asked. "You have the cutest laugh, Aika. I was really starting to wonder when I'd hear that sound coming from your mouth."

I blushed bright crimson. I started sniffing and tears swelled up again. "I'm sorry for having been such a b*tch to you, Ai. I never should have run away from you like tha-"

Ai kissed me again, pulling me out of my monologue. "This is probably the only time you're going to hear me say this, but can you please stop talking so we can kiss now?" He asked, between kisses.

I nodded and intertwined my fingers through his cyan hair. He placed his hands on my hips, bringing me closer. We stared at each other in the eyes for a couple of moments before I playfully nibbled his lower lip. He grinned at me like a little kid who had just won a goldfish at a fair. I pushed his hair out of his eyes and he passionately kissed me again, harder this time.

I opened my mouth and our tongues intertwined. I moaned slightly at the relish of kissing my love. My true love. A.I.

**I do not own any of the characters, or the bands in Uta No Prince-Sama, but the protagonist (and her -dead- best friend) of this story is my own creation. Please do not steal them without authorization (just ask). Thanks dudes. :) Peace**

Sorry dudes – because of my lack of experience, I couldn't write much more; that's why this chapter – the last one – is so short… Sorry 'bout that. Peace! :)


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